Feeling parsimonious

This is a word I learned in the audio book I just finished. When I looked it up in a dictionary which just happened to be in my path, I saw that it means excessively frugal. Hmmm, that could be me. Yes, I just lost $40 at the casino (but I didn't feel good about it)! And am spending $175 to take an art class. But on a daily basis, I am really quite parsimonious. It is all part of my getting-ready-to-retire strategy. The plan was to keep the daily expenditures down by only spending over $20 at one place. Of course, this requires another LIST and a great deal of just-say-no. I HAVE been accused by at least one friend of being CHEAP.

Audiobook review: Please ignore Vera Dietz, by A. S. King. Found in Young adult section at the Vineland Public Library (AUD CD YA FIC King. A.) All the teenage angst got annoying and there was too much "Are you OK?" and "What are YOU doing here?". Endless bullying gets really tiresome. Also the father/daughter repartee. So, I was sort of glad when it was over. A young boy and his neighbor are good friends. Then things and people intervene and he goes off with the cool/dumb/bullying crowd. Unhappiness ensues. Sometimes with young adults, you just want to shake them and say, "STOP IT!" The jerks are not quite innocent but only the reader seems to know it. I did enjoy the words Vera was studying for her vocabulary quizzes, like parsimonious.

Finally went up into my scary and depressing attic and found the origin of the leak. There were already buckets there (!) so, obviously I had already had a leak on a prior occasion. Guess I need to leave a note on the wall with the relevant info for future reference. The ominous sky threatens another rainstorm which only fills me with dread. It means that I have to go up in the attic on a regular basis, dump the buckets into a traveling bucket and take it down two floors to dump it outside. If it rains too hard or I wait too long, the overflow will drip down through my hall ceiling. SIGH...it is so hard being me. On the plus side, I have already called a roof guy and he is planning to do something about it as soon as it dries out.

Words, words, words

I am fascinated by words. Went to an exhibition of A day in Pompeii, at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, and all I could think about was all the unfamiliar words that might come in handy while doing crossword puzzles. Seems that words relating to ancient gods are popular in those puzzles. I had the same experience while watching Downton Abbey. I have to keep a paper and a pen handy to write down unfamiliar allusions. Now, where did I put that paper?

A nice calm evening using the computer at the Vineland Public Library. Well, pretty peaceful, except for the guy typing wildly and cursing at his Facebook account.

It was a gorgeous, sort of warmish wintry day today. I was going to take a "Vitamin D" bath in the back yard, but it wasn't really THAT warm, especially when the breeze blew. But it was mighty fine compared to what we have been having.

I can't take all of these changes

What is it with October and changes? Google now makes you go to a bunch of little squares, Yahoo has been revamped (again), Windows 8.1 comes out on October 18, our government is shut down, it is time to change your Medicare backup plan and your drug plan. I am really behind the times as I prefer WORDS to icons or pictures. Words seem to be on the way out.

I'd like to add a spot on this blog for books finished and songs listened to, but not quite sure how to do that. Just finished Bad monkey by Carl Hiaasen. He has really gone over the top with craziness in this novel. I heard him speak once and he does get his ideas sometimes from actual news events. And life does tend to be nuts in South Florida.

Have frittered away the day hanging at the historical library with a group of convivial people. Weather dreary. Even worse weather forecast for tomorrow when I have an excursion planned to Grounds for sculpture in North Jersey.

Job titles I would like to have

Wouldn't it be nice to tell someone at a party that you were an "Equine portrait photographer"?

One of my pet peeves is people who talk on their cell phones WHILE THEY ARE WORKING, especially when they aren't even speaking English. I think it was a Cambodian nail technician that brought on THIS rant. Then one of the other workers turned on his MAC and started blaring some program in another language even though the TV was on. Grrrr.... The manicure was OK but the ambiance was terrible. Won't be going back there soon or ever.

I fear I am getting early-onset Alzheimer's. (Also have been unable to resolve the issue that once I heard that there was no longer an apostrophe in Alzheimer's but that seems to have been a DREAM). I went to get my haircut and couldn't remember which side I parted my hair on. Can I blame it on the mirror effect? A few days ago I went to pick up a friend at the bus station and had trouble remembering exactly what exit and which road to turn around on. Is it NORMAL aging or ABNORMAL aging? I do feel somewhat foggy even when I am NOT taking a pain pill or a Xanax.

There's more than one way to skin a cat

Or is it "kill a cat"?  Actually, it has been both, although I can't figure out why anyone would WANT to skin or kill a cat!  Anyway, this phrase just popped into my mind when I went to Google and the usual choices were not at the top.  So I typed in the address for www.blogspot.com and achieved my aim of finding my blog.

Went to a pretty good restaurant last night, Barcelona bistro in Pitman, New Jersey.  The view was nice, big windows overlooking a park and a city building, with occasional passersby and their leftovers.  The service could have been better.  We weren't immediately served with the bread we were craving, but the bread was warm and came with oil finally.  First we got water with no ice but they brought ice later.  Now for the FOOD.  I had trout with almond sauce.  It was FABULOUS.  Also green beans and carrots and a potato croquette that was so good I immediately ate the whole thing.  In fact, I had trouble stopping the eating in order to get the leftovers.  On the way out we noticed that the restaurant had been voted one of 25 best restaurants in South Jersey for 2013.  And my DISH (Truta almendras) had been voted one of the 50 best in South Jersey.  Boy, do I know how to pick'em.  Actually, my friend picked it because she had a Groupon coupon.  This really complicates the bill.  Is it my responsibility to pay for half of what she paid for the coupon?

Did yoga already this morning.  What with getting enough sleep, getting exercise and getting on the computer, I barely have enough time for any other activities.